France orders Hamas TV off air

(JTA) — France’s broadcast authority has given a satellite company two weeks to stop carrying Hamas’ Al-Aksa TV network.

The authority, known as the CSA, sent a letter to the French-owned Eutelsat, the world’s third largest satellite company, on June 11 giving it 15 days to take the Palestinian network off the air, according to reports.

The satellite company was warned formally late last year and on prior occasions that the Hamas-run network violates French and European media law against incitement to hatred or violence on the grounds of race, religion or nationality.

The U.S. Treasury Department named Al-Aksa TV a specially designated global terrorist entity in March. Hamas finances and controls Al-Aksa TV, according to the department.